PREVIOUS WINNERS
Since 2009, the competition has unearthed and awarded songwriters at varying stages of their careers. Some of these are now the most celebrated names in contemporary music, including: King Stingray, Budjerah, Charley, Genesis Owusu, MAY-A, Baker Boy, Thelma Plum, Ruel, Matt Corby, Sarah Aarons, Amy Shark, Gang of Youths, Mallrat, Gretta Ray + many, many more.
2024 winners
1st Prize
$50,000
Shannon Busch [WILSN]
Give You Love
Jessica Mauboy feat. Jason Derulo
2nd Prize
$10,000
Louis Schoorl
12 Minute Walk
Bow Anderson
3rd Prize
$5,000
Cam Nacson
Forever Thing
AMPAL Emerging Australasian Songwriter
$5,000
Charley
Timebomb
American Songwriter Song Contest
Spotlight Award
$1,500
Emma Hughes
Without You
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
Chelsea Berman
Where Does That Leave Me?
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
Chris Lanzon
Lilo (with Ber)
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
Daniella Marchio
Sweet
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
Karina Savage
Landslide
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
Kita Alexander
Date Night
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
Lotte Gallagher
Adam
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
Lucy Sugerman
he loves me, he loves me not
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
Nathan May
It’s Gotta Start Somewhere
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
OKENYO
PIXEL
Global Emerging Prize
$1,000
tiffi
chemtrails
Global Top 50
Anna Leeworthy
Salt
Global Top 50
Annie Hamilton
without you
Global Top 50
Arjun Kantaria
Album Mode (The Trajectory)
Global Top 50
Ash Morse
Sunny Haven Avenue
Global Top 50
ASHWARYA
Why’s It Gotta Hurt
Global Top 50
Aubrie Mitchell
Secret
Global Top 50
Ben Swissa
Before It Gets Worse
Global Top 50
Black Sand
Kid Sydney
Global Top 50
Boy & Bear and Boo Seeka
Science
Global Top 50
Bri Clark
Among the Stars
Global Top 50
CXLOE
Shapeshifter
Global Top 50
Dean Brady
Falling
Global Top 50
Edith
Bubble
Global Top 50
Gotzilla
Just Wandering
Global Top 50
Jazzy Dale
Mr Right
Global Top 50
Joanna Borne
Hey I See You
Global Top 50
Jonathan Wyndham
Keep Our Love Alive
Global Top 50
Josh Hannan
Aftermath
Global Top 50
Josh Moreland
One Life
Global Top 50
Laura Rizzotto
SYMPTOMS
Global Top 50
PEPTALK
Forrest
Global Top 50
Polish Club
Repeating Repeating
Global Top 50
Royel Otis
Heading for the Door
Global Top 50
Ruby Rodgers
Crisis
Global Top 50
San Cisco
Lost Without You
Global Top 50
Shari Short
AMNESIA
Global Top 50
Spicy Hou
Need You
Global Top 50
TANISHA
Lights & Sirens
Global Top 50
Telenova
Discothèque Inside My Head
Global Top 50
The Rions
Physical Medicine
Global Top 50
Tkay Maidza
Wasp
Global Top 50
Vetta Borne
40-40
Global Top 50
William H Carpenter
Walking Into Walls
Global Top 50
Xoe Miles
Mirror
1st Prize
$50,000
Milkumana
King Stingray
2nd Prize
$10,000
Ready for the Sky
Budjerah
3rd Prize
$5,000
Camp Dog
King Stingray
AMPAL Emerging Australasian Songwriter
$5,000
Worst Taste in Girls
Charley
2023 Top 40
All The Good Boys Are Gay
Beks
Barcelona Love
Zac Sellars
Be My Baby
Maisy Taylor
Beautiful
Simon Burke
Crazy Like That
Busby Marou
Dream Machine
Ash Morse
Escobar
The Vultures
Flaunt It
Zoe Mugasa
Get Me Out
King Stingray
GOMD
Lucinda Curtis
GTFO
Genesis Owusu
Heartbreak Summer
Karina Savage
Hollywood
Ariela Jacobs
Hot Sauce
Thandi Phoenix
Into You
merci, mercy
Let’s Get Married
Ciara B
Medium
Fractures
Milkumana
King Stingray
Miss You a Little Less
Alex Blyth
Missing Out
Pastelle
Oh No
Jem Cassar-Daley
People
Eli Greeneyes
Ready for the Sky
Budjerah
Red Earth Dirt
Greta Stanley
Snowflakes
Thessa Louren
Stained Glass Love
Telenova
Stars In My Eyes
Ball Park Music
Sugarcoat
Ash Lune
That Action
Tia P.
The Last Days of Lockdown
Peter Bodin
Tribute
Tony Johns
We’ll Never Know
Olivia Pearl
Whiplash
Hannah Rosa
Worst Taste In Girls
Charley
You Against Yourself
Ruel
Better Days
Simon Burke
1st Prize
Gold Chains
Genesis Owusu
2nd Prize
Mikey Might
Jerome Farah
3rd Prize
Time I Love To Waste
MAY-A
AMPAL Emerging Australasian Songwriter
Move
Baker Boy
1st Prize
Better in Blak
Thelma Plum
2nd Prize
Meditjin
Baker Boy
3rd Prize
Painkiller
Ruel
AMPAL Emerging Australasian Songwriter
The Right Reasons
Carla Geneve
1st Prize
Miracle Love
Matt Corby & Dann Hume
2nd Prize
The Middle
Sarah Aarons
3rd Prize
Here We Go Again
Sahara Beck
AMPAL Emerging Australasian Songwriter
Miss Shiney
Kaiit
1st Prize
Adore
Amy Shark
2nd Prize
Let Me Down Easy
David Le’aupepe (Gang of Youths)
3rd Prize
The Heart Is A Muscle
David Le’aupepe (Gang of Youths)
AMPAL Emerging Australasian Songwriter
Better
Mallrat
1st Prize
Drive
Gretta Ray
First Runner-Up
Underflow
Emma Louise
Joint Second Runner-Up
Lonely Cities
Tigertown
Joint Second Runner-Up
4 Seats From Beyonce
Tia P.
1st Prize
Saint Joan
Husky Gawenda
First Runner-Up
Roll-up Your Sleeves
Meg Mac
Second Runner-Up
Poison Drum
David Le’aupepe (Gang of Youths)
Encouragement Award
Baby I Am Nodoby Now
Andy Bull
1st Prize
Is This How You Feel?
Isabella Manfredi (The Preatures)
Firts Runner-Up
Paper Thin
Robert Conley
Joint Second Runner-Up
Breathe In Breathe Out
Thelma Plum
Joint Second Runner-Up
Keep Her Close
Jasmine Nelson
1st Prize
Cameo Lover
Kimbra
First Runner-Up
Sweet Emmylou
Catherine Britt
Second Runner-Up
Somebody That I Used To Know
Gotye
1st Prize
How To Tame Lions
Megan Washington
First Runner-Up
Foreign Land
Eskimo Joe
Second Runner-Up
Tying Hands and Holding Shoelaces
Caitlin Harnett